Alliance
"No—don't!!!"
Filled with self-blame, Ferris knew—if not for being in the way—Lady Crusch, with her strength, could have avoided the White Whale's sneak attack.
Because of Ferris's mistake, they were about to lose the most important person again. And this time, they wouldn't even be able to remember her.
"No, no…!" Desperately trying to reach Crusch, wanting to push her out of the attack range, Ferris's weak body—less strong than even an ordinary person—couldn't resist Crusch's full-powered wind magic.
All Ferris could do was watch in despair as the White Whale slowly opened its mouth.
At that moment, a boy suddenly appeared beside the White Whale.
Swinging his shield with full force, accompanied by a thunderous crash, the Whale's massive tens-of-meters-long body was actually knocked off-course by the blow.
The mist attack missed Crusch and instead blasted a ten-meter-wide crater near her.
The boy, who had launched such a powerful counterattack, landed from the air.
"So big—so this is the White Whale? Seems like a fitting opponent to celebrate me stepping out of the 'Sanctuary.'"
"Um, and you are?"
"Talk to the general about the details. I'm just responsible for fighting."
"I understand. Then, once the battle ends—"
Crusch turned around, a little puzzled, and saw Ferris, covered in blood, clutching her with his remaining left hand.
"Ferris!!!"
"It's okay, Lady Crusch. I called Reinhild myself and cut it off myself."
Ferris knew he had betrayed Lady Crusch's hard work, gone against Wilhelm's will—but he didn't regret it.
His heart was filled with the terror of almost losing Crusch.
"So, please, Lady Crusch, don't keep fighting. Leave the rest to them. We've already lost. Just now, if not for him—if not for him…"
Ferris pointed to Garfiel, who was fighting the first White Whale, and said the words he least wanted to say:
"Even Lady Crusch… would have disappeared too!"
Crusch was silent for a moment, then embraced the heavily panting Ferris.
"I'm sorry, Ferris. My belief is that people should stand on their own—without relying on the Dragon, without relying on Reinhild.
For the ones who've followed me all this way, for those still risking their lives for my ideals—I cannot stand still.
I can't just stay here and watch. Ferris, will you lend me your strength?"
"That's too cruel… truly too cruel… Because… because now, Ferris can't say no to Lady Crusch anymore!"
Wiping his tears, Ferris walked a few steps, picked up his severed hand, and with a flash of blue light, healed his injury.
Pausing for a moment, he turned back and smiled at Crusch.
"I understand. I'll do my best to maintain the lifeline. So, so…"
Ferris lowered his head silently and left.
Crusch sighed, then looked toward the black-haired boy who had been quietly waiting nearby.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Thank you for your assistance. I'll make sure to repay this favor."
"Wait a second."
Crusch stopped walking.
"Don't worry. Though I don't intend to rely on Reinhild, I understand—we've already lost."
Crusch was not someone who stubbornly refused to admit fault.
She was fairer than anyone, even toward herself.
She knew this war had been lost due to her arrogance.
"So, I have no intention of clinging to a prey I can't bring down, nor of using my status or power to claim your accomplishments. I just want to reduce the casualties on my side."
Indeed, Crusch realized she had no way to defeat the White Whale.
Letting it continue to wreak havoc for the sake of her pride, making the deaths of her subordinates meaningless—that was not a future Crusch Karsten would choose.
"I think you misunderstand. Master Wilhelm is still alive.
So, from our side as well, we do not want Lady Reinhild to get involved.
As for that favor—I'd like to propose an alliance. Let's join forces to face threats outside of the royal selection, like the White Whale."
"Wilhelm is still alive!? You mean he hasn't died— I see."
Following Subaru's pointing finger, Crusch saw the second White Whale being gutted, and began to consider his proposal.
With the Divine Protection of Wind Reading, Crusch could see through lies, and thus knew the boy before her was telling the truth.
In that moment, Crusch felt moved.
Even someone as broad-minded as she didn't want all her long efforts to be in vain.
But she didn't lose her composure—she wouldn't let her foolishness again cost her subordinates their lives.
"Do you know where Reinhild is right now?"
Subaru suddenly asked Crusch, who was deep in thought.
"Reinhild should be dealing with a minor problem in her territory."
"Which means… we have to bring down the White Whale within 20 minutes?"
Recalling Otto's suggestion, Subaru said something that sounded unbelievable.
But Crusch, feeling his confidence through her blessing, knew it wasn't arrogance.
"Doesn't seem like baseless pride. So, what's your plan?"
"First of all, there aren't three White Whales. There's only one real body."
Subaru pointed to the one injured whale in the sky that hadn't joined the battle.
He was certain because he remembered from the trial that after the sky whale died, the one on the ground turned into mist.
Though it was a simulated memory, Daphne, the creator of the White Whale, lived in the dream city, so the intel was likely accurate.
"That might be possible. But even after two rounds of concentrated attacks, it didn't fall.
Even when I used the "One Blow, One Hundred Felled", once it's at that distance, the power becomes unreliable. One strike might land—but it won't bring it down."
Crusch looked at the White Whale—it was now flying about 100 meters above the ground, even higher than when it first appeared.
A nasty personality trait. But Subaru wasn't unprepared.
"Actually, my body seems to have some kind of unusual attraction to it. I'm pretty sure I can lure it down."
The ability that had once blocked Subaru's path now became the key to his breakthrough.
"I see… so the key is to have someone restrain the two clones while we eliminate the main body in an instant?"
Crusch looked out at the battlefield.
Though Julius and the Sword Demon had stood up with Ferris's healing, their condition was poor.
Her own attacks couldn't deal a fatal blow. The vice-captain of the Iron Fangs was already out, and Ricardo had no large-scale attack capability.
"There is a way, isn't there? A one-hit-kill method."
Following Subaru's pointing finger, Crusch's expression turned thoughtful.
"I understand. Alliance accepted."
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